Young Peking Opera performers' fashion transition

A show that combines Peking Opera The Drunken Beauty and Western Opera Time to Say Goodbye was put on at the news conference for the upcoming awards gala for the winners of the 2016 Young Peking Opera Performers Challenge, August 7, 2016. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

It is rare to see a Peking Opera performer sing some lines in English. Yet a young woman dressed in a Peking Opera costume and a tenor in a black suit, perform a nice duo of Peking Opera The Drunken Beauty and Western Opera Time to Say Goodbye.

This is a mini show to warm up the news conference, held at a small music hall in the CBD of Beijing, on Sunday afternoon, for the upcoming awards gala for the winners of the 2016 Young Peking Opera Performers Challenge. President of the Beijing Peking Opera Company Li Enjie,  celebrated Peking Opera performer Tan Xiaozeng, and some 100 representatives attended the news press.

The contest was held in Beijing from June 5 to 18, with the participation of two groups of post-80s and 90s Peking Opera performers. Beyond expectation, the challenge attracted a lot of attention through social media and interaction with audiences on the internet.

As the main promoter of the contest, Lux Shine aims to promote traditional Chinese culture by adding more fashion and modern elements. Narrowing the distance between Peking Opera and the young generation is also their goal.

Established in 2015 by Ma Yingying, a former journalist and director for the Opera Channel of China Central Television (CCTV), Lux Shine is still very young yet robust in the field of cultural promotion.

"When I started to work for the Opera Channel, I knew nothing about Peking Opera and felt a little shamed for this unpopular job. But six years later, I fell in love with Peking Opera, and I wish I could do something to let more people get to know its beauty," Ma said.

And "unpopular", or not as popular as its peak, is the bitter reality Peking Opera is facing nowadays. The young generations prefer more fashionable cultural entertainment, and Peking Opera looks too serious to enjoy to them.

Ma, however, has a great ambition to make Peking Opera look younger and more accessible. She and her team have made a series of creative Peking Opera shows, by combing the Opera with ballet, Western Opera and even rock and roll.

The award gala will be held in Beijing on August 21. The young performers will show in a more posh Peking Opera style.